The H. Moser Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon has something old, something new and something blue. It’s a contemporary expression of two of watchmaking’s most traditional mechanisms – a minute repeater and a tourbillon – and it has an exquisite blue sunburst dial that is unencumbered by the numerals indexes, logos and Swiss-made marques that clutter up the dials of most watches.

Technically it’s like a dance and a musical performance in one, a fine example of what watch aficionados mean when they say great watches do more than tell time. (They can also make a fashion statement or say something about your net worth, and this watch, which is priced in Swiss francs at CHF330,000, about US$370,000, does that too).

The minute repeater is fun because you can see the hammers and gongs on the dial side. The tourbillon is fun because it isn’t just a tourbillon, it’s a flying tourbillon. That means the upper bridge is removed so you can better see the performance of the escapement as it oscillates back and forth on its axis and rotates inside a carriage once every minute. The timekeeping goal of which, of course, is to help the watch regulate itself more accurately in every position. The result is a really great show that can only enhance your  appreciation of the micro-engineering involved in mechanical watchmaking.

The uncluttered dial means the hammers and gong of the minute repeater and the tourbillon escapement take center stage, which represents a new way to represent these or any other traditional watchmaking functions. The absence of a logo matters not, because the signature minimalist, colored dial is unmistakably H. Moser. If there is any question, you can flip it over and read the engraving on the caseback.

The 43mm case is titanium, which is lighter but tougher than steel (and certainly lighter than gold). It also gives the repeater chime better vibratory energy, rather than allowing it to dissipate, according to H. Moser. The watch is 14mm thick, with the case middle widened to the maximum to allow enough space to create a sound box. The movement, hand-wound caliber HMC 903, has a 90-hour power reserve. It is limited to 20 pieces.


Forbes